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Developing Free College Prep Courses

Preparing your student for college is not an easy task. From finding courses to making schedules it really can be overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be…What would you say if I told you there was a super way to develop awesome college prep courses for your high schooler? AND… that said courses were FREE? Unbelievable, right? Homeschoolers of all types can take advantage of free online education resources to make great college prep courses for their high school students.

It’s Free!

This works great for parents who have a child interested in specific subject matter in which the parent doesn’t have any training, or if the student enjoys working independently. The open courseware site developed by MIT is a great resource. You can get the lecture video, request notes, and even take exams.

Of course, as free courses these would not be credited through MIT, but would need to be recorded as homeschool courses. Yet, they could easily be recorded as MIT courses by you on your personal homeschool transcript. This would definitely look great on your student’s transcript.

Make it Count!

Another great use for these courses is to help students study for CLEP courses. The student easily watches the lectures, studies the notes, take practice exams, and then can schedule the CLEP exam. Many students report that these courses give substantial preparation for the CLEP exam, and often raises their test scores by several points. Of course, using the free courses this way can actually earn your high schooler college CLEP credit. In a world that increasingly wants a college educated workforce, our high schoolers are up against fierce competition for jobs. Enabling them to get the best education possible at a fraction of the typical cost is just another way that homeschooling parents can help their student be a success!

Jamie Gaddy, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D. has been an education professor for over 17 years. She is also a pastor’s wife, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who now homeschools four of her six children (ages 9-15) in a sweet tea sippin’, wrap around porch sittin’, sweet southern Georgia town. Jamie is also a contributing author at Online Education for Kids and MomSCHOOL